Pan Fried Catfish with Buttered Rice & Pickled Pepper Relish is a traditional meal from my years in the south. The Wondra really helps lighten this crust allowing the texture of the flaky catfish to shine.
serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 cup white rice
- 3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon wondra flour
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 catfish fillets
- 1 cup assorted pickled pepper and onions (see sippity sup’s recipe)
Directions
In a medium sized saucepan bring the rice, water and salt to a vigorous boil. Then stir the rice well, cover the pan with a lid and bring it back to the boil. Continue boiling for a few seconds then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Take the rice off the heat, add 4 tablespoons butter and give the pan a stir, replace lid and leave it to stand for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the fish.
In a small bowl mix the wondra, paprika, onion powder and celery salt together well (an equal measure of Spice Islands Beau Monde mix is a great alternative to the onion powder and celery salt).
Rinse and dry the catfish fillets, laying them onto a plate in a single layer. Using fine meshed sieve or flour-sifter shake an even amount of the Wondra and spice mixture over all 4 fillets. Gently turn them over and repeat.
Heat the remain 4 tablespoons of butter and the canola oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet set over medium heat. The skillet should be large enough to hold the fillets in one layer, otherwise work in batches.
When the oil is hot, but not too close to smoking carefully lay the fillets in the pan. Cook then about 2 minutes on one side with out disturbing them. Then flip them and cook them another 2 or 3 minutes until the fish is firm and cooked through but not overcooked. Remove the fish from the pan so that they stop cooking.
Chop the pickled peppers and some of their onions into a chunky relish. Serve the fish ontop of the rice with the relish on the side.
beignets at Lucile’s in Boulder Co. Who woulda thunk it, in COLORADO!
When I read your pronunciation of beignets, I heard the “YAY‑z” part in my head as the part of your video opening where the kids cheer “yay!”.
OH NO!! “Phi Gamma Delta, our Delta we adore!!!!” I can still hear my brother and his fraternity brothers singing that chorus. Of course they were Fijis at UCLA in the early sixites, which meant they were fraternity brothers boys of a VEEEEEEEEERY unique and frisky genre. The tales are legion, the suspensions by the administration numerous, and now the remimiscing rather frequent. Funny the things we learn about one another. Sacre bleu, ma le monde est trop petit! Which brings me to letting the good times roll. God, I love fried dough, and your article is wonderful. I am with you on authenticity, although to say we live in a melting pot is to understate the obvious.
It seems every culture has its own version of fried dough, all very similar, all very wonderful. The Italians love it, and every region has several varieties, each with a different name. There are crostoli, cenci, chiacchiere, bugie and more — but it’s all the same. Fried dough liberally coated with powdered sugar. One of my fondest memories is eating the crostoli my grandmother made, little knots of fried dough. Our chests and faces were just covered with powdered sugar — which made it very easy for my mom to know which kid had put his or her little hand in the cookie jar! And oneof the first lessons every Italinkid learns is don’t inhale the powdered sugar!
Thank for this one. It brought back some really wonderful memories.
Food memories are so powerful. They can take us back to treasured places, a certain time in our life, a special person… or have us avoid places like the plague.
Nothing like a lungful of powdered sugar, right? I can’t say I’ve experienced that but I have inhales too much cinnamon, which serves me right since I use in in excess.
Your mom sounds like quite the trailblazer in the kitchen!
Went immediately to Cafe Du Monde, and a very happy day in a sad year… and Ive been promising myself I would maket them at home with some chicory coffee ever since.
Your post brings back happy memories of visiting the Cafe Du Monde at all hours for some powdered heaven, the scent of fragrant coffee oils and honest beignet grease mixing with the heavy, damp air.
Good times!
… and I agree. GREG
Yup, ya got dat rite char! De bess beignets are in de Quaters an you got to get dat cafe au lait wit it too. Made a batch at the house awhile back as well.. http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/blog2/recipes/beignets-home/
Cheers,
CCR =:~)